2003 in Wales

← 2002 2001 2000 2003 in Wales → 2004 2005 2006
Centuries:	19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
See also:	List of years in Wales 2003 in The United Kingdom England Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 2003 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales – The Prince Charles
• Princess of Wales – vacant
• First Minister – Rhodri Morgan
• Secretary of State for Wales – Peter Hain
• Archbishop of Wales – Barry Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff (elected)
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Robyn Llŷn

Events

• February - Former Conservative Assembly leader Rod Richards is declared bankrupt with debts estimated at over £300,000.
• 27 February - Rowan Williams is enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury. Dominic Walker is installed as his replacement as Bishop of Monmouth
• 9 March - Ron Davies announces that he is leaving politics after being asked to stand down by his local party following further revelations by the press about his private life.
• 29 March - Porthmadog Cob is bought by the Welsh Assembly Government and the road toll is discontinued after 192 years .
• 1 May - In the National Assembly for Wales election, Labour win 30 seats, enabling them to form a government. Following disappointing results for Plaid Cymru, Ieuan Wyn Jones stands down as party president and leader of the assembly group.
• 19 June - Prince William of Wales visits Bangor and Anglesey, to mark his 21st birthday (on June 21).
• August
  • National Eisteddfod of Wales held at Meifod.
  • A memorial to Owain Lawgoch is unveiled at Montague-sur-Gironde, France.
• October - Dafydd Iwan, newly elected President of Plaid Cymru, escapes a driving ban for speeding offences on the grounds that he needs to drive to fulfil his musical and political engagements.
• 12 October - The Friends of the Leinster hold a service at Holyhead to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the sinking of RMS Leinster by a German U-boat.
• November - Michael Howard becomes leader of the Conservative Party.
• December - Dafydd Wigley is appointed Pro-Chancellor of the University of Wales.
• 7 December - The Wales & Borders train operating franchise is awarded for a 15-year period to Arriva Trains Wales.
• North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm commences operation.
• The former Brain's Old Brewery site in Cardiff is redeveloped into the 85,000 sq ft (7,900 m²) "Old Brewery Quarter".
• Veteran Cardiff politician Stefan Terlezki goes to the European Parliament to press the case for eventual Ukrainian membership of the European Union.
• In Channel 4's 100 Worst Britons poll (which included only living people), the following entries had Welsh connections:
  • H from Steps - 8
  • Charlotte Church - 21
  • The Prince of Wales - 24
  • Catherine Zeta-Jones - 39
  • Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen - 42
  • Vinnie Jones - 61
  • Tom Jones - 72

Arts and literature

Awards

• Glyndŵr Award - Elinor Bennett
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Twm Morys
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Mererid Hopwood
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Cefin Roberts
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Music Medal - Owain Llwyd
• Wales Book of the Year:
  • English language: Sugar and Slate - Charlotte Williams
  • Welsh language: O! Tyn y Gorchudd - Hunangofiant Rebecca Jones - Angharad Price
• Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen - Elfyn Pritchard, Pan ddaw'r dydd
• John Tripp Award for Spoken Poetry: Emily Hinshelwood

New books

English language

• Damian Walford Davies - Echoes to the Amen: Essays after R.S. Thomas
• Rhys Hughes - The Percolated Stars
• Bernice Rubens - The Sergeants' Tale
• Rowan Williams - Poems of Rowan Williams

Welsh language

• Bobi Jones - Beirniadaeth Gyfansawdd - Fframwaith Cyflawn Beirniadaeth Lenyddol
• Gerwyn Williams - Tafarn Tawelwch

Music

Albums

• Huw Chiswell - Dere Nawr
• Elin Fflur - Dim Gair (No Words)
• Catrin Finch - Crossing the Stone
• Funeral for a Friend - Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation
• Jakokoyak - Am Cyfan Dy Pethau Prydferth
• Karl Jenkins - Adiemus V: Vocalise
• Stereophonics - You Gotta Go There to Come Back
• Thighpaulsandra - Double Vulgar

Theatre

• Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru established

Film

English-language films

• Michael Sheen stars in Underworld.

Welsh-language films

• Y Mabinogi

Broadcasting

Welsh-language television

• Wawffactor is S4C's answer to Pop Idol.
• Cor Cymru – S4C's search for the best choir in Wales – is broadcast for the first time.

English-language television

• Michael Sheen and Paul Rhys star in the award-winning TV drama, The Deal
• The Story of Welsh presented by Huw Edwards
• Quest For Perfection, written and presented by Russell Davies on BBC Four
• Jamie Baulch finishes third in the BBC's Superstars programme.

Sport

• Cricket
  • 31 December - Tony Lewis is awarded the CBE in the New Year Honours List.
• Cycling
  • Nicole Cooke wins La Flèche Wallonne Féminine for the first time.
• Football
  • Cardiff City F.C. win promotion to the Football League Championship.
• Rugby union
  • Introduction of regional rugby union teams in Wales - Professional teams launched as follows:
    • 1 April - Newport Gwent Dragons (merger of Ebbw Vale and Newport RFCs).
    • 6 June - Cardiff Blues.
    • 7 July - Llanelli Scarlets.
    • 24 July - Neath-Swansea Ospreys.
    • Summer - Celtic Warriors (merger of Bridgend and Pontypridd RFCs).
  • October - The Wales team participate in the Rugby World Cup in Australia. In the group stages Wales defeat Canada 41-10, Tonga 27-20, and Italy 41-10, but lose to New Zealand 37-53 to qualify for the knockout stages. The team lose to England 17-28 in the quarter-finals.^[1]
• Snooker
  • 30 November - Matthew Stevens beats Stephen Hendry 10-8 to lift the 2003 UK Championship title.^[2]

Deaths

• 5 January – Roy Jenkins, politician and Chancellor of Oxford University, 82
• 6 January – Glyn Davies, economist, 83
• 17 January – Goronwy Daniel, academic and civil servant, 88
• 26 January - Kingsley Jones, rugby union prop, 67
• 3 February – Trevor Morris, football player and manager, 82
• 26 February – Brian Evans, footballer, 60
• 14 April - Bob Evans, rugby player, 82
• 13 May – John Savage, prime minister of Nova Scotia 1993-97, 70
• 29 May – Trevor Ford, footballer, 79
• 8 June – Leighton Rees, darts player, 63
• 10 June – Phil Williams, politician, 64
• 16 June - Ivor Bennett, rugby player, 90
• 17 July – Dr David Kelly, government scientist, 59
• 21 July – John Davies, Olympic athlete of Welsh descent, 65
• 3 August - Norah Isaac, educationalist
• 5 August – Benjamin Noel Young Vaughan, Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, 85
• 20 September – Gareth Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn, politician, 62
• 25 September
  • David Williams, crime novelist, 77
  • Dai Davies, Wales and British Lions international rugby union player, 78
• 29 September – Billy Cleaver, Wales international rugby union player, 82
• 7 October – Henry Herbert, 17th Earl of Pembroke, 64
• 23 November – Paul Grant, bodybuilding champion, 60
• 27 November – Dai Francis, singer, 73
• 1 December – Hugh Rees, politician, 75
• 19 December – Roy Hughes, Baron Islwyn, politician, 78
• 20 December – Robin Williams, broadcaster and essayist, 80
• date unknown – Brian Morgan Edwards, businessman

References